COOKING ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS

This post is sponsored by Sympli Natural Nigeria in association with the Venus Processing and Packaging Company Limited. All opinions are my own. #symplinaturalnigeria #sympliripeplantain #plantainpuffpuff

All hail the plantain queen! That’s the new title I’ve been given since I posted my plantain and egg aka. the dodoyi recipe on my Facebook and Instagram pages. A recipe that went viral with over 1,7 million views in two months. Watch the viral video here. That’s why I’m super excited to share this mouth-watering recipe with you my lovelies: it’s my signature Sympli Sugar-free plantain puff puff.

This plantain puff puff is your regular puff puff with a twist. They are epic. If I can say so myself. Made using Sympli freshly frozen ripe plantain, there is no need for added sugar. They are extra sweet on their own. *Drooling*.

I love plantains!

Those who know me, know that my love for plantain starts from here to eternity. I could eat plantain for the whole of Africa. Whether it is plantain bread, or my epic plantain cake, or these wickedly delicious plantain muffin cups, ripe plantains are just my favorite food to eat. They are not only sweet to the taste but pack a serious nutritional punch too.

Health benefit

One benefit that really stands out is its vitamin A content which helps to boost our immune system, support health and prevent various cancers and skin diseases. That’s why I’m so excited to create or discover new ways to enjoy the yummiest food in the whole wide world. That’s in my opinion of course! 🙂

My sister-friend and blogger Kewan Mildred originally developed this plantain puff puff recipe. For the original recipe, please visit kewanblogs.com. I wanted to add my signature to it, so I included vanilla extract and instead of buying, peeling and slicing plantain, I used the Sympli freshly frozen ripe plantains. They’ve done all the work so you can get in and out of the kitchen in a twinkle of an eye. Convenient huh?!

Oh! Haven’t you heard? Sympli Natural Nigeria makes life in the kitchen a breeze with their freshly frozen products. Awesome goodness, authentic African food, delicious like home. My go-to African tubers at the moment. I give all the details about the various products and their benefits in this post.

How to make Sympli Sugar-free plantain puff puff

It’s as easy as making your regular puff puff. First, you want to make sure you thaw your Sympli ripe plantains. Then blend it with a bit of water, add a pinch of salt and vanilla extract. I love the flavor vanilla extract adds to this recipe. It’s oh-so-good. Vanilla in my food reminds me of cake. Say goodbye to cake cravings my lovelies! If you do not have access to vanilla extract, you can either replace it with cinnamon or leave it out completely. Your plantain puff puff will still taste great.

The next step is to activate your yeast by add lukewarm water to it. Let it sit for three to five minutes. This step is crucial if you want your plantain puff puff to rise. You can also use wet yeast. 42g for every 500g of flour. Alternatively, baking powder would do the trick too. You will need 3 teaspoons for this recipe.

While your yeast is in activation mode, go ahead and pour in your flour in another bowl. Make a well in the middle and add in your puréed plantain mixture. Mix it into a smooth consistency while adding your yeast bit by bit. Cover the mixture with a clean kitchen cloth and allow it to rise. This should take 20 to 30 minutes if you followed the recommendations above.

Now you are ready to deep fry that dough. Heat about 2 liters of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet or pot. Scoop some dough into your palms and press out round balls using your thumb and pointer finger. Watch me fry the perfectly rounded plantain puff puff below.

Fry your plantain puff puff till golden brown stirring gentle as you fry. Are you to authentic African enjoyment? Then make some hot pepper sauce to go with it. Oh my yum! The enjoyment will last forevermore. If you try this recipe, please tag, twit, Facebook or Instagram me a picture because as always, I love to see your own creation.

Chocopuffs is what is cooking today guys. I had so much fun in the kitchen with my kiddies putting a delicious twist on our everyday puff puff recipe. But before you read any further, note that this is not a meal you should consume regularly as it is high in carbohydrates, fats, and calories.

If you are new to puff puff, it is simply a deep-fried dough made from flour, sugar, salt, and water. Here is my simple but extremely delicious choco puffs (chocolate puff puff) recipe which forms the basis for this twisted version. So on Saturdays, I am usually in the kitchen with my kids just like I was trained, I want both my daughters and son to learn how to cook at a young age. We’ve got to catch ’em young right?

So whenever I am doing something out of the ordinary, I love involving my kids, asking them questions and triggering their minds to think out of the box. Cooking with my kids also serves as a learning moment.My son measured out all the ingredients for this choco puffs, counting each spoon of sugar and flour while my daughter did the mixing during which we talked about the importance of each ingredient.

.That’s how my mom taught me. Pushing me to think out of the box and making use of what I had available. So most often, cooking was more of using my initiative, creativity and working with what I had on hand to create something delicious the whole family could enjoy. Here’s to my wonderful mom who pushed me to develop, create and enjoy the process.

It’s that time of the year again. It’s the season of celebration with family, friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, it also tends to be a time of stress caused by endless rounds of shopping and christmas-card writing as well as gluttony and overindulging, the reason why I’m sharing these healthy Christmas tips with you all so you have aguilt-free Christmas celebration.

If you are watching your weight or just trying to live a healthy lifestyle, the question of how to eat healthy over this feastive season must have already crossed your minds. The good news is, cooking and eating healthy this holidays is still achieveable. Overindulging during the festive season should not be on your Christmas menu.ood n

5 Healthy Christmas Tips

Here are 5 tips to help you have a healthy Christmas celebration which will help you keep your weight and health on track without missing out on all the deliciousness and fun.

1. Plan and prep ahead

That the christmas season can be very stressful cannot be overemphasize. ‘Busy schedules make it tough to make healthy choices. Planning Christmas menus and preparing meals ahead of time can save a huge amount of time, energy and health faut pas! Take time to plan a healthy Christmas menu, shop healthy, prepare and freeze to avoid last-minute fast-food runs or relying on heavily processed meals.

2. Eat a healthy breakfast

Jump-start your day and your metabolism with a healthy sumptuous breakfast. A protein-loaded breakfast will help you stay energized and burn more calories during the day. You can choose between boiled, poached or scramble eggs with grilled plantains, sweet potato casseroles, akara beans or akara pancake, sugar-free plantain bread and avocado püree. Try a healthy fruit juice, a fruit salad or a smoothie. Whatever you do, make it healthy and special.

3. Cook your food healthier

Try making healthy eating easy for you by giving a healthy spin on favorite Christmas dishes, such as fried rice, jellof/jollof, soups and stews, grilled chicken or roasts, and all things baked as well as appetizers. Enjoy the turkey, goat or pork at Christmas lunch, just trim out extra visible fat and make sure it’s healthy lean meat! Include lots of vegetables and a colorful fruit salads. With healthier dishes on the menu you can eat without regrets.

4. Make your own drinks

Healthy Zobonaid (folere lemonaid)

Drinks such as Folere aka. Zobo (made from hibiscus flower), home-made fruit juice and drinks, cocktails and lemonades with little or no added sugar are better options than fizzy and sugary drinks. If you consume alcoholic drinks, don’t deprive yourself, but remember that these drinks can add many excess calories that we sometimes forget about. Slowly sip on a glass of champagne or red wine and make it last. Enjoy these beverages in moderation and remember that water is always the healthiest drink!

Orange juice

5. Everything in moderation

We know that you have been counting down to this christmas to eat all those special occasion foods. Remember to focus on moderation rather than deprivation. These healthy Christmas tips should help you eat to your fill without going overboard! If “Achu is your favorite treat for Christmas, indulge in one plate not three. So here we are! These are just a few tips to help you have a joyfully healthy christmas celebration. Do you have any tips that have worked for you to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

As you celebrate, remember that Christ came to earth to make a way for you and I. If you believe in Him, eternal life is yours. Seasons greetings to you and yours.

A mishap in the kitchen gave me the opportunity to do make hot scotch eggs.

My version of scotch eggs is the result of my food processor not blending almonds for almond milk properly. Because I couldn’t bring myself to throw the almond chaff away, I had to do something. The first thing that came into my mind were to make sweet almond bites. Next, I remembered that scotch eggs needed bread crumbs for coating. So I thought why not try using almond ‘crumbs’ instead. I’m glad I did.

My failed almond was quickly transformed into almond meal which is generally a coarser grind made from almonds that have their skin on. The ready-made almond meal can be bought from your local supermarket but you can follow the procedure below to make yours at home. Once I was done making this almond meal, it immediately dawned on me that any nut could be used for this recipe if the same procedure is used.

Can I just say sometimes a mishap is the best thing that can happen in the kitchen or even in life. Some of the best ideas come as a result of failure. So next time, you fail at something in this life, don’t give up, don’t be downcast. Find ways to make things right. Seek solutions and you will be surprised at what can come out of a bad situation.

Now back to the intention of this post. This is a must try recipe. In fact, the taste will confuse your brain for a moment, but as you munch on, you’ll quickly appreciate the savoriness of this almondy hot scotch eggs.

“Anyone who can roast a turkey, make hot pepper sauce served with charcoal-roasted plantains will always be surrounded by smiling faces”. Zita Bernice Tiena

Christmas is celebrated differently in the different parts of the globe. Everyone has their own special tradition which makes this festive period a special time for family and friend. Some spend Christmas singing carols during their gatherings, while others never miss watching ” A Christmas Story”. Whatever way you chose to spend it, we know that there will be no Christmas celebration without that special Christmas dish.

Growing up in Africa, my Christmas consisted of a night vigil at church on Christmas eve, lots of Christmas carol singing on Christmas day and most importantly lots an abundance of delicious home-cooked special Christmas meals. So for the first time since I started IHL, though a little late, I have decided to share my traditional Christmas menu with you. I know creating a healthy holiday menu can be nerve wrecking, brain draining difficult. If you still have no idea on what to prepare for the Christmas, here’s a menu that will make this holiday season a healthy, fun-filled, joyful one.

It starts with a protein loaded, fiber rich and hearty breakfast to savoury lunch dishes, small chops, right down to sweet treats for dessert. There will be an abundance of healthy but fabulous food, lots of laughter and memorable gathering with no shortage of good times with your loved ones.

Here’s what my family and I will be eating for Christmas.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, therefore Christmas breakfast should be no exception. This is a protein packed, fibre-rich breakfast great for grown-ups and kids alike which will keep you fully for longer.

1. Spicy whole meal scrambled egg and veggie Pizza

2. Boiled Eggs, whole wheat bread and pepper sauce

3. Pan-fried Akara

4. Pan-seared Plantains

Appetizers

We aim to consciously include vegetables for that extra boost of vitamins, minerals and fibre (which will aid in digesting all what we will be eating).

For all details, please follow me on instagram @inspiringhealthylifestyles on the 24th for the pre-cooking and the 25th for live cooking. To ask questions and comment use the hashtag #IHLChristmasCooking #IHLCC

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Hi guys!

I'm Zee, your certified health & weight loss coach. I love Jesus and delicious healthy food. My blog is all about holistic health: the health of the body, soul, and spirit. So I'll be sharing my food, faith, fitness and fashion life with you and cheering you on your journey to a healthier, happier YOU as well.
Welcome to my world!

Zita Bernice Tiena.

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